The silver sands
by Ladybird.c
Summary: november 1981. Sirius is about to be sent in Askaban and Remus just lost all he had. A strange green-eyed boy come to ask their help and tell them that everything isn't lost yet. The summary isn't great, sorry.
1. The last day

****

1. The last day.

The shy October sun was bathing a last time the Godric's hollow majestic trees, giving them an ultimate comforting gleam before losing himself in the English fog until the next spring.

It was a sunny autumn day. One of these days it seems that nothing bad can happen, one of these day you can see kids running and laughing in the streets, young couples wandering hand in hand by the walks, people just happy to be there, alive.

It was a day like that. You'd like to forgot the darkness, to look away from the " another murder in London area " shouting newspapers, to laugh at the first one speaking about fear or pain.

Life can be a pretty good prankster sometimes.

Remus Lupin was calmly walking, crossing the animated streets. He wasn't in a hurry; he was letting the sun invading his face, warming it. Full moon wasn't so far ago, and he was still, little by little, taking back his seat among the human beings. 

It was a long time he didn't came. Too long, in fact. Too much doubt, also, too suspicion. He didn't like what their lives had turn into, their friendship was sinking into formalism, their laugh didn't ring as clear as before, when they felt so close, when fear didn't have any grip on them, when the pain of this world didn't matter, simply because, together, they was stronger. Everything was vanishing little by little. How could it be else, in this so uncertain world ?

All of this was hurting him, but not as much as the lack of his friends, this last full moon, he had faced it alone. As the one before.

Maybe because of it, he had accepted James's invitation, or maybe it was because Lily insisted so much, or because he heard little Harry say his name, while his mom was tying to keep him away from the fireplace. But it didn't matter, the truth was, he missed them; he missed them all. James was like a brother to him, and he was the only one they could totally trust. But maybe it was James who didn't have faith in him, Remus, anymore ? This idea had prevented him from taking the way back to Godric's Hollow, these last weeks. Another proof of their change of heart, if he even needed one; a few years ago, none of his friends would have spend so many time without having news.

He was lost in his thoughts. Remus had always been the dreamer, some link with the moon ? It must be why he didn't see the boy at first, or maybe the boy wasn't looking at where he was going. The collision took both of them by surprise. The bunch of roses he bought for Lily flew away from his hands and the other jumped, catching it just before it touch the pavement. " Whoa, this guy could show something to James !", thought vaguely Remus. The boy got up and gave him back the flowers with a smile. At least, Remus supposed that he was smiling, but it was quit difficult to be sure. A cap was covering his head, hiding a large part of his features. The only thing he saw was his eyes; green and shining eyes, staring at him. Strangely, he seemed familiar, without he can link him to a name, a place or a date.

"That must seem funny", he tried, " but I got the feeling that I know you somehow."

Now, he was smiling, that was sure, but Remus didn't understand why.

" Oh, lots of people got this impression, maybe I have a common face. "

Remus was not certain at all, but he shrugged. 

" Must be that. So… Have good day. "

The stranger nodded and he started walking away.

" Lupin… Wait ! "

Remus stopped dead. 

" How do you know my name ? "

" No matter… I mean, _just now_, it doesn't matter. But I… Look, maybe you'll think he betrayed you, that you've lost everything… "

He felt a sudden cold in his stomach.

" What are you talking about ? I didn't lost anything… " 

" No, don't ! Don't try to understand. You just have to remember. You'll understand soon… "

" But remember _what_ ? "

" That everything won't be lost, in spite of the appearances, there will be _someone_ left. "

" But please, explain yourself… "

" I can't. I am sorry I can't. There are some law I have to respect. I am not allowed to… Even if I want… "

With that he ran away, without anymore explanations. He didn't even look when Remus called him back.

Remus felt strange, the sun seemed less warm than before. The meeting had let an unpleasant sensation. A bit like the nights just before the full moon, when he know that something awful is going to happen, without knowing how to prevent it.

When he reached the little blue-shuttered house, Sirius was already there. His bike was lying against the wall. It was halloween and someone, maybe Lily, had put three gigantic pumpkins in front of the gate, one of them filled whit brightly-colored sweets. 

James greeted him first, his son in his arms. Both of them beamed at him, and Remus felt his fear flying away. Then came Lily and Sirius. They were laughing, from a stupid joke of Sirius's, probably; and Remus immediately forgets these sad few months.

They made happily their way back to the house. But when he was about to step inside, something like an unknown force made him look back; and what he saw made him realize that, soon, something would be definitely lost.

The green-eyed boy, the one he met a few minutes before, was there, just near the pumpkins; one fist clutched at the gate.

He was crying.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

****

Hi everybody. I just want to say that I'm French. I learn English at school but it's the first time I write something in English. In fact, this story is the translation of " Le médaillon d'argent ", a story written by one of my friend. 

I really don't know if my English is good or not, and it is difficult to see because it isn't my mother tongue (I mean, the language I use to speak, I don't know if it's the correct expression), so I'd like to tell me. And maybe you can help me to improve? 

It isn't just a way to get reviews. I don't want to continue if it's bad (don't want to destroy my friend's story). 

Thank you, and thank for reading. Ladybird.


	2. End and beginning

****

Disclaimer (I forgot it last time) : Absolutely nothing belongs to me !!!

.

.

.

Thanks for the reviews !!!

Wilarin : Don't worry, Moony will be OK !

****

Serrebi : It isn't a one-shot. In fact, there already is 6 chapters in French.

****

Morgan, Prd2American18, LynnJ : Thank you, I hope you'll like this chapter.

****

Raphaelle : Merci pour vos encouragements. La version française de l'histoire est sur ce site; l'adresse, c'est : storyid=1630135 .

And a special thank to **Japonica**.

.

.

.

.

.

2. End and Beginning 

He didn't know where he was; in fact he didn't care. Strange how life can change its line in such few time. He could nearly have found it funny. Nearly. If there wouldn't have been five dementors in the corridor, and if this grim joke wouldn't have been his life. Or what remained.

The visions were dancing in his head, becoming darker and darker as the night was passing, as the dementors were making their way in his mind, toward his most horrible thoughts, feeding themselves with his pain. And they had their money's worth: he had got all the despair and horror he could, these last few days. As an old, scratched record, his mind was pausing on some visions: a wasted street; a young, black-haired man's body lying on a carpet; a green-eyed baby's blood and tears stained face. With, as a soundtrack, this sentence, tirelessly repeated, which was at the same time accusation, trial and judgment, " the traitor, Sirius, it is one of us. ".

He heard steps near his cell. With all his strength he tried to cling to the last humanity fragments left to him. But it was vain. There was only darkness left. His conscience flickered. He felt that he lost. Then, it was the fall.

" _Expecto patronum_."

He opened his eyes. The grip released a part of his mind, giving him back his soul. A spark came back to life. Something was disturbing the dementors. Clac, clac, those steps again. An echo seemed to run on the other side of the door, as in a very long corridor.

"Sirius? Sirius, are you there?"

It took him a time to recognize his own name. Unable to speak, he approaches the door.

"If you're in there, move back, I'll open this door…

__

Alohomora!"

The heavy door open up slowly, a diffused light slipped into the cell. Even if rather weak, this sudden illumination was painful.

"Are you OK?"

Sirius couldn't properly see the new comer's face, first because every time he tried to stare at something, he could only see two big red spots, and then because that man had something on his head which was hiding a big part of his face.

"Hurry up! The dementors will be back soon, it won't keep them for long …"

At his voice, Sirius could say that the man was very young, a teenager, probably.

"Where are you from?" His own voice seemed curiously hoarse to Sirius, as if someone else was speaking, using his mouth.

"Doesn't matter! There's no time to explain, we have to go."

Unexpectedly, a tiny part of him rebelled. He couldn't allow himself to be taken away just like that! But these last few days' events happened so fast that he couldn't think anymore.

"One moment…" he hesitated, " this could be… a trap?"

"A trap? Hum… Sirius, I wouldn't like to depress you, but… Honestly… I can't see how things could be worse than here."

A point for him, thought Sirius, but, escaping, it would be as if…

"But I am… _Innocent_!"

" Well, you may be, but there are only three people who know about that, you are the first one, and it won't do you anything good, then, there is Pettigrew, but I don't think he'll come and give a hand…"

At Peter's name, Sirius felt a wave of rage invading his body. The boy seemed to realise it.

"You don't have a choice, we have to go! You really want to spend the rest of your life with dementors?"

And Sirius gave up. He was suddenly emptied of all wishes and fears. Slowly, he went out of his cell.

"And the third one?" he asked, more to say something than by real interest.

"What?"

"You told me three people know I am innocent."

"Oh. The third one, it's me. But it won't be a great help: I don't exist here. Well, I mean, not like that."

And, once again, Sirius decided he didn't want to know.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

He was staring at the fire. He didn't blink a single time. His mind was light, as if empty of all substances; he had the feeling that it could fly away at every moment, taking the pain with it. It would certainly be better, but then, he wouldn't have anything left.

His arms were circling his knees, and he was rocking himself back and forth, gently. His gaze didn't leave the flames; he had had the opportunity to learn that things tend to disappear when you look away from them.

He didn't see the bird at first. He was too engrossed in the fire and in his pain. A gentle cry made him look away from the fireplace. It was an owl, with big amber eyes and pure white feathers. He vaguely asked himself how it had came in, but he didn't have the energy to focus on the subject, and it didn't really matter to him. The owl hooted again, to get his attention, and stuck out its leg, to which a small roll of parchment was tied. With a surprised look at the messenger, he took the letter.

All isn't finished yet, but I'll need your help.

Trust me, please, even if it's hard.

You're not alone. Follow Hedwig, she'll lead you to me.

Hedwig? Again, he looked at the owl, which hooted softly. The letter wasn't signed. He didn't know what to do. _All isn't finished yet_, he asked himself what it meant, that everything wasn't lost yet, or that the war against Voldemort wasn't totally won? He hesitated, was it a trap? Was some Deatheater trying to kill the last Marauder? He smiled grimly. It wasn't as if life mattered that much, in these days.

He suddenly remembered the boy he met a few days ago, at Godric's Hollow, before… _Before_. What did he say? "_You will think you've lost everything, but there will be someone left_" or something like that.

__

There will be someone left.

Decided, he got up briskly.

__

All isn't finished yet.

The owl Hedwig followed him with her surprised amber eyes as he caught his cloak. The words were electrifying him.

__

I'll need your help…

"Well, are you coming, or not?" he asked the owl, opening the door.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

The small dark cell in which Sirius had spent the last twenty-four hours belonged to an enormous mansion. It was empty except for the dementors. It must be really hard to find, too. The perfect prison, he bitterly thought. Everywhere around, there were only trees. Sirius followed his strange companion in the grim corridors labyrinth to the exit door, and then entered with him into the cold forest.

A laborious run began there. It was the dead of the night, and the paths were nearly invisible, anyway, the boy had given up using them. He just went on, stopping from time to time and whispering, "_point me_" to his wand, to find his way. Sirius was freezing, the cold November wind was slipping in the collar of his cloak, and he stumbled at every step.

An hour and a half-dozen of "_point me_" later, the strange boy stopped before an old wooden cabin. It looked like the Shrieking Shack, which sheltered Remus the full moon nights, in their school years. God that time seemed so long ago! Another "_Alohomora_" took care of the lock and they came in.

All was dark and dusty. With a start, Sirius felt something little and restless, that he couldn't identify, fell down in his hair.

"_Lumos_!" said the boy. Blinking, Sirius looked around. The furniture was in a very bad state. A wooden bench was running along the wall, half broken down here and there; in the middle of the room, a large table proudly stood on its three legs, there were also two footstools, a disfigured armchair and an old cupboard.

"Where are we, what is this place?" asked Sirius.

He took a better look at the boy. He could only see the lower part of his face, but he seemed strangely familiar, as someone he'd have known long, long ago, but never totally forget. The feeling didn't make him feel better.

"Hem… Tell me, do I know you?"

"Of course, you do." answered the other, a smile in his voice. "And for this place… Well, I'm not sure, somewhere around London…"

"But _why_? What are we doing here? What happens after?"

"Here, we're waiting for someone. And after… Well, it's a bit difficult to say, some unexpected things might happen…" He seemed suddenly a bit less self-confident.

Then, Sirius heard a light knock at the door. The boy opened it; a white owl came in and majestically settled on the dirty bench.

"You're finally there. Well, you took your time!"

The owl hooted indignantly and turns its back to him.

"Oh, stop that, will you? I'm sure you paused in the way for an extra shrew-mice hunting"

Offended, the animal didn't bother answering. The boy looked back to Sirius.

"He won't be long. He is really coming, huh?" he added for the owl.

The bird gave him a disdainful look, as to say "But _who_ do you think I am?"

"Who is coming?" asked Sirius tentatively. 

"Who is coming? But Lupin, of course!" it sounded like an evidence.

"R… Remus? But… But why would he…"

"Because I asked him! We need some help, and I don't know who else could swallow your story. Except Dumbledore, maybe, but he is a bit busy, actually."

Sirius didn't understand, he didn't understand anything.

Nevertheless, he decided to stop asking questions, accepting the fact that, since the beginning of the week, he didn't have any control on his life anymore.

Five minutes passed without anyone appearing. Sirius's host started losing patience, giving more and more suspicious looks to his owl.

Then, Sirius heard knocking again.


	3. confrontation

Hi everybody. Sorry it took so long, but I have been really busy with school stuff. 

Thanks for all your reviews!!!

****

LynnJ : What is Harry trying to do? You will have the answer in the two next chapters, but I think this one explain it a bit.

****

LoOkYiTsSpAm : (interesting name). Thank you! But I think learning English is easier than learning French (and a _lot_ easier). I hope you'll like this chapter.

****

Gizachick : As I said a few chapters ago, this fic isn't mine, I'm only translating. There are 8 chapters in the original version, and I can tell you it is going somewhere. But the "main" story have not been introduced yet (in the English version), just wait for the next chapter.

****

Serebii : Thanks! Hope you'll like this one.

****

Raphaelle : Thank you, I try to do my best.

****

Japonica : Thank for your review. I had to post this one without your help, I hope it will be good.

.

.

.

.

.

.

****

3. Confrontations.

.

.

"Come in!" said the boy in a clear voice. Sirius suddenly got the fugitive feeling that he perfectly recognized him, only by the sound of this voice. He was nearly able to put a name on the invisible face, when all coherent thoughts left his mind.

Remus Lupin had just came in the room.

.

.

.

.

.

.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

.

.

.

.

.

.

Obviously, this last week hadn't been nicer to him than it had been to Sirius. The young man had a wasted face, and the look of someone who just lost his reasons to live. And it was probably true realized Sirius. He hadn't had a single thought for Remus, in his pain. He was too busy thinking about James and Lily, about Harry. About Peter. But Remus too had lost everything he had. All his friends had been taken away from him within two days. And him had nothing left to cling to; no revenge, no injustice to fight, nothing, only the pain.

The werewolf took a few steps in the room. He didn't see Sirius, who had stepped back in the shadows, at first. His glance stopped on the young stranger.

"I remember you! You were… You were at Godric's Hollow. I… I saw you cry. You… You _knew_!"

A single nod. Sirius's throat painfully tightened.

"How could you? You only had to… You should have told me!"

"Oh no, I couldn't!", the voice was hoarse, now. "If you knew how much I wanted… But I _wasn't_ allowed."

There were tears in his voice. Remus stayed quiet a few seconds. He seemed to catch the boy's pain. Wise Remus, though Sirius, always the most comprehensive.

"Was it your owl? Why did you make me come here?"

"It wasn't for me.", simply stated the other.

With a little nod, he indicated the opposite corner. Caught unawares, Sirius didn't have the time to move. 

Remus's eyes widened. 

"_You_!", he hissed.

.

.

.

.

.

Afterwards, Sirius wouldn't have been able at all to name all the emotions which took his friend's face. Rage, despair, lassitude, maybe; and other ones so melted that Remus himself wouldn't have been able to define them; then rage again. Not a single glint of happiness or relief. Sirius was sure now: Remus didn't think he was innocent.

"_You_!", he repeated, unable to say something else, as if, since Halloween night, Sirius didn't have the right to have a name, or as if he didn't exist, anymore.

Rage was distorting his face. Suddenly, he bounced on Sirius, seizing his throat. Frightened by all this agitation, the owl let out a piercing hoot flew away toward the still open door.

Sirius didn't feel much better than her. All the frustration and pain Remus had accumulated these last few days seemed to come up at one go. And, in his eyes, it was hard to tell where ended the man and where began the wolf.

The fingers tightened around Sirius's neck, who, weakened by his recent stay in the dementors's good care, was uselessly struggling.

Then, the pressure released, his assailant took a step back. While a tiny second, Sirius thought his friend was coming back to his senses.

Remus's face was really pale, the hatred was darkening his eyes. He only stared at him for a moment, unable to find the words to express his anger. Then he began to shout.

"YOU BLOODY BASTARD! You killed them! How dare you look someone in the face, now? THEY TRUSTED YOU! _We_ trusted you! And you _killed_ them! Murderer!"

And he went on like that, throwing out his rage. Remus's usually sweet voice had become a huge roar. Shaking under the insults, Sirius didn't even try to interrupt; Remus wasn't able to think, and he seemed about to explode by the waves of rage in him. He was shouting his anger, his voice going from low to high in a funny way, like a breaking teenager. In the end, the lack of argument made him shut up. Sirius looked up, hoping the storm gone.

And he got a huge thump in his stomach. Breathlessly, he collapsed on the floor, waiting for the next shock. It didn't come. Shyly, he lifted up his head. The darkness had left his friend's face. A lonely tear was running down his cheek.

"Why?", he asked, "Lily and James, Sirius. And Peter… _Why_?"

Sirius jumped at Peter's name, feeling the now familiar flood of hatred invading his blood.

"And you? Where were _you_? Weren't you supposed to be my friend? And you accuse me without only listen! How can you believe them? _You're not better than they are!"_

Remus seemed to be taken aback.

"What? How do you…? What shouldn't I believe? You _are_ a murderer!"

"_It wasn't me!_ I didn't betray them!"

"STOP IT! Don't do that. _You were their secret keeper!"_

A pause. The time suddenly stopped. Each of them suspended at the other's look.

"I wasn't", Sirius answered.

It was only a murmur, but Remus couldn't mistake it.

"It isn't true, you're lying!", he nearly implored him; the uncertainty was a torture.

"No.", Sirius repeated, a little louder.

"And Peter? You killed Peter…"

"Oh no.", he said again, "I didn't. But I'd have love it!", he ferociously added. The hatred was still there, burning him from inside. He started to feel sick.

"But then… _Who_ killed Peter?"

"No one!", this time he was going to throw up. "Peter is perfectly O.K.!"

"Wha… What?", Remus's face lift up for a time, "But, all those people… who saw you killing him… And… All those people you _killed_…"

Sirius couldn't contain himself anymore.

"It was him", he threw out.

"I… I don't understand…"

"Really, you don't? It isn't _that_ complicated, you know. It was Peter! Peter who destroyed this street, Peter who betrayed them, Peter who accused me, it was _Peter!"_

"It's impossible…"

"Oh yeah, it is? And why that? It seems natural for you to say I am a mass murderer, but you don't want to believe that the little Peter betrayed? HE WAS THE SECRET KEEPER!", he nearly shouted these last words.

"You think I will swallow that? I _do_ know it was you. I was there! Remember?"

"We switched. Everybody knew it was me, and there was a traitor among us.", he let out a bitter laugh. "It seemed the idea of the year to me. The traitor, whoever he was, _couldn't_ suspect Peter". He looked Remus right in the eyes, "But the trouble is, the traitor _was_ Peter."

"It is impossible", Remus repeated, "James would have told me, if you had switched…"

"No, he didn't. He didn't because…", he hesitated.

A third voice interrupted.

"Because they thought you were the traitor."

Sirius jumped. The boy had stayed away from the altercation. His intervention took both of them by surprise.

"Is that true?", asked Remus.

Sirius sadly nodded.

"I'm really sorry."

"No, don't be.", Remus whispered, "What happen now is only the result of what happened all this year…"

He was speaking for himself more than for Sirius, his eyes strangely shining.

All the tension was gone. Not knowing what to do or say, Sirius looked at this confrontation instigator.

"That's it.", said the boy.

He vaguely looked at him.

"You know… I've always wondering… How it had been, just _after_. People must have been so happy… But some weren't, were they? Oh, not all of them…"

"Who are you?", simply asked Sirius.

Quietly, as if he had waited the whole evening for someone to ask him this so natural question, he put out his cap, revealing his face.

"James!", exclaimed Remus.

.

.

.

.

.

.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

.

.

.

.

.

.

"No, he isn't.", whispered Sirius "He is not James."

However, he could understand the mistake. The boy looked strangely like James. Same face, same dark, messy hair, same smile. But he was younger – even if James was neither young nor old anymore, now – around fifteen, not much. In spite of that, Sirius could have done the confusion if the boy hadn't had very different eyes from James, green eyes. And if there hadn't been this little voice, piercing and obsessing, to harass him, driving him mad. "It isn't him… You know it isn't him." He closed his eyes.

And, slowly, as a dispersing cloud, he saw other green eyes, filled by tears, then a face, stained by blood. Infant's cry seemed to shake the silence. "Oh God, he though, there is nothing more frightening that a shouting baby."

And, as the true lightly touched his mind, he felt a huge wave of lassitude invading him. He didn't have the strength anymore. He was too tired to fight, to hope, to ask questions. He didn't want doubts or hatred anymore, and he didn't want answers. Oh no, above all, no answers. All he wanted was that this world leave him alone, let him cuddle down in a corner, hiding his face in his hands, where the green eyes couldn't reach him. "But _why_?", asked the little voice, mercilessly. "Because", Sirius answered, in a small child way, "just because." "Because is never an answer, Sirius.", his mom used to say, with a contemptuous look. She was so wrong; it was the very right answer.

He opened his eyes, and it all breaks down, only the green look remained. He suddenly had the impression that his existence was twirling by itself, as when he lost the control of his bike. "You know.", said again the little voice, "You know it all, since the beginning."

Remus's voice interrupted this silent exchange.

"But… _Who_ are you?"

"I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

.

.

.

.

.

It took a few seconds for the absurdity of this declaration fully penetrate Remus's mind. 

"What? But… That can't be…"

Sirius intervened.

"Remus, wait."

Remus watched him carefully. He didn't seemed particularly incredulous, nor even surprised; but he had that really tired look, like someone really exhausted who realize that he still had a lot of things to do. He was just near the boy, who didn't move. Remus watched him lift up a lock of dark hair.

"It is true", he said.

Unable to speak, Remus approached. Sirius showed to him a strange, bolt shaped scar, which marked the boy's forehead.

"You see that? It is where Voldemort… I saw it."

Suddenly embarrassed, Harry – but was it really him? – stepped back.

"Here we go, people always come back to this scar.", his voice had a bitter note.

"But… It is impossible!", how many time did he say in this endless night? "He can't be Harry! You are mad, both of you, Harry… Is only fifteen months old!"

.

.

.

.

.

Lupin stared at him; Harry bit his lip, fully aware of being taken for a fool. And it wasn't the explanations he was about to give which could help the situation. He looked at Sirius for support, but the young man also wanted to understand.

"Right!", he said, "How is it possible?"

"I can't explain. That… That wasn't supposed to happen… Well, I mean, not like that…", O.K, that mustn't really help them. He tried again. "I sort of… come from the future.", no, told that way, the story seemed far too absurd, a bit like those silly science-fiction films Dudley used to watch on Friday nights, some years ago. "I mean, I went back in time. Obviously, I'm about fourteen years back."

"But how? And why?"

"I told you, I'm not sure. Something must have gone wrong. I have to… I have to see Dumbledore."

"But tell us at least…"

Sirius stopped. There was a fall noise near the door. Surprised, Harry saw Hedwig slowly rise, preening her feathers. She had came in so fast she had missed the chair. She winged toward Harry's shoulder. He smiled.

"Where have you been?"

But she started to nibble his ear, then pecked at his sleeve.

"Hey! What is wrong with you?"

She behaved a really strange way, flying from Harry to the door before coming back to him, then doing it again.

"I think she wants us to follow her.", Lupin said.

Harry nodded. He caught his wand and headed toward the door, following in his owl's track, Sirius and Lupin after him.

"Just great.", muttered Sirius, "What is it _now_?"

No one answered. They followed the owl flying before them through the branches during a few minutes. Then, as the cold started to numb them, Hedwig slowly went down to settle under the trees, just near a dark mass. Harry approached and realized, horrified, that it was a corpse. It was a human being – unconscious, dead? He stepped closer. Trees here were more far between than near the cabin, and their branches allowed the moonlight to come down, lightening the inert face.

A face he knew very well.

.

.

.

.

.

.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

.

.

.

.

.

.

Far away from this cabin, but in a no more luxurious-looking one, old Ben Emmerson was peacefully reading his newspaper, comfortably seated in his favorite armchair. He was delighted; diner was ready, he had just settled the table and cleaned the room. His wife was about to be back, and she, who usually spent her time saying he was an old good-for-nothing who spent his days smoking his pipe in his old armchair, was going to have the shock of her life. He was already laughing at the though.

An article suddenly caught his attention: "_A gas explosion make several victims in London area!"_ Nelly's sister lived in London, could something have happened to her? "My God!", he whispered, looking at the black-and-white photograph.

The kitchen door slammed. "Nelly?". She didn't answer. Packets probably filled her arms. Their grandson surely thought she was his own Father Christmas. "Nelly, I have something to… Nell? Is that you?" Of course it was, who else could it be? She still didn't answer. He stood up. "Do you need a hand?". He reached the kitchen. "N…Nelly?". It wasn't Nelly. In front of him stood a woman he had never seen before. Tall, with long dark hair. "Who… Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I am a Blue Moon's servant.", her voice had something terrifying, he felt as if he had just drunk a glass of iced water. She stepped closer. Her eyes had a metallic gray shade.

"What… What do you want from me?"

"You're only a pawn in the game, muggle, but you have to be gone…"

She gently touched his cheek. It was like being touched by a snake. What did she call him? 

"What are you going to do…"

She stepped back, then, suddenly, disappeared. Ben blinked. 

He heard a muffled sound, like a buzzing, which seemed to come from the floor. Petrified, he saw a huge dark dust swirl slowly rise up. And it came closer to him. Suddenly blinded, he felt the panic invade him. He started to shout when the swirl swallowed him. His last though was for his wife, before the dust disappeared and let him fall down, empty, like a rag, on the floor.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤


End file.
